


The Twilight Look

by images_words



Category: Castle
Genre: Accents, Alternate Universe - Vampire, F/M, Kevin Ryan Has an Accent, M/M, Married Kate Beckett/Richard Castle, Vampire Kevin Ryan, What's the Deal With Irish Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-21 19:25:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14921435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/images_words/pseuds/images_words
Summary: Javier Esposito knows there's something strange about his new partner. He just can't figure out what.Feat. Kevin with an Irish accent bc ever since 4x14 I have not been able to stop thinking about it.





	1. Chapter 1

"Are you Detective Esposito?"  
Javier Esposito turned around. The man in front of him was of slight build, with dark hair and pale skin and sparkling blue eyes. Despite his relatively small stature, he didn't seem weak, instead appearing to be nimble and lithe, quick on his feet. "I am. And you are?"  
"I'm Kevin Ryan, I'm your new partner..." he said shyly, and for the first time, Javier noticed his accent. Irish. He smiled at the man.  
"Nice to meet you, Kevin. Come on, I'll introduce you to the team."  
"Team?" Kevin asked, following Javier to the break room. "I thought we were the team."  
"We're... we're like a smaller team within the larger one. Castle!"  
Richard Castle jumped, nearly spilling his coffee. "Dammit, Espo!"  
"Sorry. Kevin, I'd like you to meet Richard Castle. Castle, this is my new partner, Kevin Ryan."  
Castle smiled. "Nice to meet you, Kevin."  
"And you, Detective Castle."  
Castle burst out laughing at that. "Detective Castle! I love this guy!"  
"Did I... did I say something funny?"  
Javier laughed. "Castle's not a cop. He's... well, I'm not entirely sure what he is at this point. Castle, what's your official title?"  
"Volunteer civilian consultant."  
"What does that mean?"  
"It means I'm a very helpful writer."  
Javier laughed. "Where's Beckett?"  
"Right here."  
Javier and Kevin turned around to face Kate Beckett.  
"She's a cop, right?" Kevin asked quietly. Javier nodded, stifling a laugh.  
"Is this your new partner?"  
"Yep. Kevin Ryan. Kevin, this is Detective Kate Beckett."  
Kate smiled. "Welcome to the team, Detective Ryan."  
Kevin smiled. "Thank you, Detective. I look forward to working with you, I've heard you're one of the best."  
"Well, I wouldn't say that..."  
"Don't be so modest, Kate," Castle chimed in. "It's the truth and you know it."  
Kevin smiled. "I'm going to go speak with the Captain, let her know I'm here," he said before heading off.  
"Dude..."  
Javier sighed. "Castle, don't start. I don't need to hear about how my new partner is a ghost or a robot or a member of the Royal Family."  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I was just gonna say that his accent is hot."


	2. Chapter 2

"I thought Organized Crime usually worked gang hits."  
Javier laughed. "Man, you really want to get off this case, huh?"  
"No, I just... I didn't realize this would be our case," said Kevin, putting on his sunglasses as he got out of the car.   
"Dude, it's barely even sunny out."  
"I have sensitive eyes, you arse," Kevin said with a laugh. "So, why are we on this case?"  
"Because Organized Crime needed backup," said Javier.  
"Wait... what do you mean by that? Are you fuckin' with me? Please tell me you're fuckin' with me, Javi."  
"I'm not. What's got you so worked up, kid?"  
Kevin, realizing he'd been left behind, ran to catch up with Javier. "Okay. First of all, I'm older than you. Second, I used to work Narcotics. Ended up mixed up in a lot o' gang-related cases. I'm just tired o' gangs is all."  
"Wait, you're older than me? How old are you, anyway?" It was hard to tell. Most of the time, Javier was able to give a fairly accurate estimate of age. But Kevin... he _looked_ young, certainly, at least at first glance. Mid-twenties, maybe. But a closer look revealed the subtle lines around his eyes, eyes that sparkled with youth but were _old_ , so old, eyes that might have seen all the horrors and all the wonders of the world. He was ageless, so young and yet so very, very old.   
A cry of pain pulled Javier out of his thoughts. He looked over to see Kevin looking like he regretted all his life choices.  
"That's what you get for touchin' the body without gloves on," said Lanie Parish.  
Kevin handed her a cross necklace, holding it by the chain as far away from himself as possible, as if he was worried that the cross would burn him. "She was holdin' this."  
Lanie laughed, taking the necklace. "You really don't like crosses, do ya?"  
"On the contrary, I'm Catholic," Kevin responded, offering no further explanation for his reaction to the necklace. He crouched down beside the body. "Three bullet wounds straight across the waist... Sword of Orion did this."  
"Figured as much... never could figure out why they do that."  
"It's Orion's belt," said Castle, coming up behind them. "Like the three stars."  
Kevin nodded. "I worked a case involving the Sword a few years back. Got caught up in it... got myself a belt." He lifted up his shirt, revealing the three scars across his waist. "They don't always kill ya. Sometimes the belt's a warning." Something about him changed then. Not something most people would notice. A slight furrowing of the brow, a darkness behind his eyes. But Javier noticed. He knew it all too well, the resurfacing of things better left forgotten. And it hurt him to see it in Kevin. He'd only known him a few days, but the man was a ray of sunshine, tooth-rottingly sweet with a smile that could light up a room. Javier put a comforting hand on his partner's shoulder.   
"Hey, you alright?"  
Kevin nodded. "I'm fine, Javi. Just... not exactly the most pleasant o' memories."  
Javier knew he wasn't fine. Even if he couldn't feel how tense his partner was, it was obvious. Obvious to him, at least. Kevin's trembling hands, the panic in his eyes, his quick breathing... it was clear to Javier that he was not okay. And, apparently, to Castle.  
"Hey, Ryan, can I talk to you for a minute?"  
"Yeah, sure." Kevin followed the writer to a spot a bit away from the rest of the group.  
" _Thank you_ ," Javier mouthed when Castle turned around. It wasn't that he wouldn't have been willing to talk Kevin through this; he just knew he wasn't very good at it. Castle, on the other hand, seemed to have missed his true calling as a therapist.  
The writer led Kevin to a shady area, noticing the smaller man's aversion to the sun. "Hey, listen. If you can't work this case, no one's gonna hold it against you. We've all had to sit out a case or two that hit too close to home."  
"I'm fine, Castle. Lots of cops get shot."  
Castle sighed. "Not like this. And something tells me that's not all they did. I know you want to push through this, and that's fine. If you decide to work it... I won't tell Gates if you don't. But don't feel like you need to work this case. You don't have to prove anything, to anyone."  
"I know. But this is something I have to do. I got those scars trying to infiltrate the Sword, shut down their drug ring. I failed. I won't fail this time. I _can't_ fail this time."  
Castle nodded. "Alright. But if you change your mind, just let me know so I can tell Gates you're sick," he said with a laugh and a wink.  
Kevin smiled. "Thanks, Castle."  
"No problem... oh, one more thing. EMDR."  
"What?"  
"Ryan, I know PTSD when I see it. Based on what I saw back there, the way you actually managed to stave off a panic attack... you've been dealing with it for a while. EMDR, it stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It's one of the most successful treatments for PTSD. I just... I thought you might like to know."  
"Thanks... I'll look into it. Are you sure you're not a detective?"


End file.
